{"id":35911,"date":"2024-02-16T01:47:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=35911"},"modified":"2024-02-16T01:47:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:47:10","slug":"leadership-as-a-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/leadership-as-a-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership as a Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many ways to view leadership, and various types, models, methods, and frameworks have been created to help us explore our understanding of it.\u00a0 When it comes to developing a theology of leadership, it seems as though what\u2019s often being explored is the model of servant leadership or some variation of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jesus taught us, \u201cIf anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all\u201d[1]. This is the premise of servant leadership: to focus on one’s service to God first,\u00a0 through our service to others rather than self. Some positive attributes associated with this model include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, and community building[2]. \u00a0Despite its value, Servant Leadership is not without its criticism. One is that it’s rooted in a patriarchal approach that neglects to consider the potential negative impact when applying this to marginalized individuals. Researchers have also questioned its ability to promote ethical behavior, as it relies more heavily on the \u201c<\/span>moral framework of individual leaders and followers rather than broadly agreed-upon moral standards.\u201d [3]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The other week, Tom Camacho introduced us to Coaching Leadership. Adopting a coaching leadership style puts the individual being served in the driver’s seat, inviting them to slow down, look inward, and form a more reflective yet still action-oriented approach to partnering with the Holy Spirit in how they lead. This model builds upon Servant Leadership while accounting for some aspects that might be too paternalistic in its initial understanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within Coaching Leadership, there are multiple models one could adopt to help support a leader toward long-term transformation. Each focuses on clear communication, a depth of introspection and listening, inquiry and exploration, action, and ongoing review. \u00a0 One critique of this style is that it\u2019s time-consuming, a long-term process that requires a considerable amount of personal buy-in from all parties involved. Despite being collaborative and empowering, not everyone is open or ready for this level of responsibility and personal commitment.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Because of this critique, many organizations adopt a training or seminar style to provide leaders with knowledge on core skills, tools, or methods to apply to their lives. While I appreciate the gifts of these one-off workshops or multi-day trainings, I have long since moved away from seeing them as a sustainable form of leadership development because leadership is an ongoing <\/span>practice.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our most significant challenges aren\u2019t knowledge gaps but a lack of support and accountability in consistently applying our knowledge in daily life, especially when faced with uncertainty. <\/span>After skimming through \u201cLeadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership, ” it would seem author Eve Poole, a leadership researcher and practitioner,\u00a0 feels the same. <\/span>She says most leadership<\/span> happens when things go wrong, and fear kicks in[4]. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Poole uses the term \u201cLeadersmithing\u201d in an attempt to move away from leadership as a \u201cstatic concept\u201d and into something more \u201ccrafty\u201d focused on responding daily to the things that are happening around us, thus harnessing the \u201ctrade\u201d of leadership as a skill to be exercised regularly in the face of the uncertainty.[5] <\/span>Fear is an important concept to understand when exploring leadership. Poole speaks to this in her book, noting the importance of a leadership model that adequately addresses how people navigate our world\u2019s volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and ambiguity (VUCA). <\/span>She invites us to<\/span> think about fears influencing how we lead in the world by exploring neurobiology – our neocortex and amygdala.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is fascinating to think about because if we\u2019re exploring \u201cLeadersmithing\u201d as a new model of leadership, simply because we need a model that takes into consideration the impact of ongoing fear and stress accompanying the VUCA of our times, one could argue that she\u2019s implying the majority of leaders operate in a constant stress response. This means that our neocortex\u00a0 (the most advanced\/ evolved part of the cerebral cortex) won\u2019t be in charge because the amygdala (our reptilian brain) will be in the driver’s seat. Thus, we must understand the flight, flight, freeze, and fawn process that happens when we\u2019re under pressure and apply that to leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Poole argues that the only way to push past the limitations of the reptilian mind taking over is to put ourselves in situations where we \u201c schedule our fears,\u201d making time to practice what scares us.\u00a0 Even if only in a small way, she says this is the best way to build resilience, for it\u2019s only through 20\/20 hindsight and foresight that we won\u2019t be ruled by fear.[6]\u00a0 Not being able to see what\u2019s coming is the trigger, but by apprenticing in our fears, we\u2019ll eventually be able to navigate without them causing so much resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In her TedX talk at Durham University,\u00a0 Poole opens with a string of pearls and the words of Saint Paul;\u00a0 \u201c We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance character and character hope and hope will not disappoint us\u201d to help illustrate her belief that leadership isn\u2019t easy but how that\u2019s important because \u201cyou can\u2019t have pearls without peril\u201d [7]. Understanding what leadership is and requires is fundamental to her solution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My definition of leadership comes from community organizer and educator Marshall Ganz. He says leadership is about\u00a0 \u201caccepting responsibility for enabling others to achieve shared purpose in the face of uncertainty.\u201d[8] There are a few key things to point out here:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Leadership is a choice. It isn’t a title or something bestowed upon you.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Leadership is a responsibility.\u00a0 It won\u2019t always be easy. You will be required to say no at times, you will need to make tough decisions, people will be watching, and there will be pushback.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Leadership is not about you. It is about the other. It is about accepting the responsibility to support and enable others.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Leadership is not just towards any purpose but a shared purpose. We all have different callings, and we all have unique gifts and abilities. Leadership involves connecting the threads to show where these gifts can cross-pollinate to aid a collective vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Leadership is needed most when faced with uncertainty. Look at the VUCA world we live in. Now, more than ever, the world is looking for people who will accept this responsibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    This definition calls us to focus on the<\/span> \u201cpractice\u201d<\/span><\/i> of leadership. <\/span>Poole\u2019s apprenticeship model is a great solution, especially when paired with a coaching mentality. While I love how it helps make leadership practice tangible, there are still challenges. I can’t help but wonder about the sustainability of this model, especially when it comes to marginalized individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    If what Poole\u2019s saying is that leadership is needed most under conditions of uncertainty, which just happen to be situations that kick us into our most primal states, making it more challenging to be reflective, intentional, and aligned in our decision-making, how do we account for the effort it takes to break free from the weight of the constant stress response that is day to day living for many operating at the intersection of identities, to implement this model?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    We nee<\/span>d a leadership model focused on practice and sustainable for folks who don\u2019t only have to navigate VUCA in their leadership but are met with daily stressors simply due to their existence in a society that was not designed for them to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I’m curious to know your thoughts on what else needs to be considered when designing a sustainable model that understands and accounts for the added complexity and impact \u201cisms\u201d have on one\u2019s ability to thrive as a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    [1]<\/span>The Holy Bible.<\/span><\/i> London: Hodder And Stoughton, 1992.<\/span><\/p>\n

    [2]Shonk, Katie. \u201cServant Leadership Theory.\u201d PON – Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, May 8, 2023. https:\/\/www.pon.harvard.edu\/daily\/leadership-skills-daily\/servant-leadership-theory\/.<\/span><\/p>\n

    [3]ibid<\/span><\/p>\n

    [4]Poole, Eve. <\/span>Leadersmithing<\/span><\/i>. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

    [5]ibid<\/span><\/p>\n

    [6]ibid<\/span><\/p>\n

    [7]\u2014\u2014\u2014. \u201cLeadersmithing | Eve Poole | TEDxDurhamUniversity.\u201d www.youtube.com. TEDx Talks, April 12, 2017. <\/span>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=73L1613KDnw<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    [8]Ganz, Marshall. Verbal communication to Akwese Nkemontoh. \u201cLeading Change.\u201d Course Lecture, July 14, 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n




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